Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Scotland Independence worries US Authorities

5 Reasons Americans
Should Be Nervous About Scottish Independence

This week’s referendum
on Scottish independence has largely flown under the radar here in the United
States. The cable news networks have devoted little attention so far to the
issue, as the ISIL threat in the Middle East continues to dominate international
coverage.

There has been no polling conducted on the Scottish question in the
U.S., and it is doubtful that many Americans outside of the Washington policy
bubble or the financial milieu of New York are particularly exercised by the
outcome of a vote taking place more than 3,000 miles away.

They should be concerned. What happens in Scotland will
reverberate on this side of the Atlantic, and not for the better. Here are five
reasons why Americans should be nervous about the outcome of next week’s vote
if Scotland votes for independence.

1. The Special Relationship will be undercut.

The
United Kingdom is far and away America’s biggest and most important ally.
Anything that weakens Britain, and chips away at the Special Relationship, is a
big negative for the United States. This fear has been amply expressed by
dozens of members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, whoare backing a resolutionin
the House of Representatives declaring that a “united, secure, and prosperous
United Kingdom” is vital to US interests.

The Special Relationship is too powerful a partnership to be set
adrift by a Scottish vote for independence, but there can be no denying it will
not be the same without the valuable contribution to the alliance made by
Scottish soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, as well as statesmen, scholars
and entrepreneurs, who helped make it the global force it has been for the last
seven decades.

2. Britain’s nuclear deterrent will have to be moved

The UK’s entire nuclear deterrent is based in Scotland, and all
Britain’s nuclear bases and warheads will have to be moved out of the country,
a huge headache not only for London, but also for Washington. Any threat
to Britain’s status as a nuclear power is a matter of great concern for the
United States. The NATO alliance originally was conceived as a nuclear
alliance, one that has been underpinned since its founding by the American,
British and (at times) French nuclear deterrents. Anything that undermines
Britain’s position as an independent nuclear power and weakens NATO is a matter
of significant concern to the United States.

3. The coalition against ISIL will be weakened

Britain is central to Washington’s strategy of building an
international coalition to confront and defeat ISIL, in Iraq and Syria. The
timing of the Scottish referendum could not be worse for the White House, which
is depending upon Downing Street to help rally countries in Europe and the
Anglosphere to contribute militarily to the air war against ISIL. A defeat for
the No campaign could dramatically weaken David Cameron’s position, making it
harder for him to move forward with British military action, especially if
there is a leadership challenge within the Conservative Party. The prime
minister’s ability to win a vote in the House of Commons and take Britain to
war again in the Middle East undoubtedly would be called into question by
defeat in the Scottish referendum.

4. U.S. markets will take a hit

If Scotland votes for independence, expect significant turmoil
not just in the City, but on Wall Street as well. This has been a year of
significant volatility in American stock markets, driven in part by events in
Europe. Fears over the economic fallout from Scotland breaking off from the UK
will spook U.S. markets, frighten investors and add to an air of uncertainty
exacerbated in recent months by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Add to this the
prospect of a Scottish economy set adrift from the pound, with potentially huge
costs incurred in transitioning to an independent financial system, and you
have every reason to fear more market turbulence.

5. An independent Scotland will be an insignificant ally to the
U.S.

As
part of the United Kingdom, Scotland is a valuable ally to the United States,
home to Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent and submarine bases, as well as
several British military regiments. It also is home to important NATO
early-warning air defenses, increasingly vital in the face of Russian
aggression. As an independent entity, with a projected defense budget ofjust $2.5 billion, significantly less than the$4.1 billion budgetof
London’s Metropolitan Police (hat tip:Luke Coffey), and just15,000 members of the armed forces,Scotland’s role as a U.S. partner
would be practically non-existent. Edinburgh would struggle to gain entry to
NATO, with countries such as Spain and Italy likely to veto Scottish membership
for fear of encouraging nationalist movements within their own borders.

About Me

No one knows where the life will lead us to! But only if we work to the cause of "justice" and to give a helping hand to others, then , we can see the path of truth! We all are accustomed to follow the rules of the traditions and not be ourselves, but ,,,,,,Changing the image of the Limestone, Achieving for the Milestone! How can you achieve the Best, if you shall settle like the Rest!????!